In-situ synthesis of WCp/tungsten wire reinforced iron matrix composite under electromagnetic field

Tungsten carbide(WC) particles were in-situ synthesized using tungsten wires and gray cast iron molten at 1573 K under electromagnetic field and WCp /tungsten wire reinforced iron matrix composite was fabricated.The experimental results indicate that the reinforcement formed in the composite depends on frequency of the electromagetic field,when the frequency of electromagnetic field is below 4 kHz,the composite is reinforced by both in-situ synthesized WCp and residual tungsten wires,when the frequency is 4 kHz,tungsten wires are completely reacted and the composite is reinforced by in-situ synthesized WCp.The electromagnetic field accelerates mass transfer process in the molten,contributes to quickly form local Fe-W-C ternary zones with high tungsten content around the tungsten wires and promotes the synthesis of WCp.However,the gaps of the inter-WCp particles play a role of a filter which hinders the diffusion of elements.The composite exhibits high wear resistance due to higher hardness WCp and its dispersive distribution in the matrix.